Page 69 - Urban water supply handbook

STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR SMALL WATER SYSTEMS

2.2 HISTORY, PLANNING, OUTSOURCING

The environment in which small water systems operate today is exceptionally
dynamic. Among the many dynamic forces at work, SDWA regulatory standards
are likely to first drive small systems to respond. This is quite simply the result of
the fact that SDWA regulatory standards carry with them a date certain by which
systems must take action. Systems usually have 3 to 5 years from the date of pro-
mulgation of a SDWA regulation to achieve regulatory compliance. To varying
degrees, other pressures on water systems—to replace the infrastructure, develop-
ment new water sources, and to respond to competitive forces—can, to varying
degrees, be ignored or dealt with in a “patch and get by” mode for a somewhat
longer time horizon. Forestalling attention to these forces, however, can diminish
the quality of service and raise the cost of the ultimate solution.
Over the next several years, water systems must comply with numerous regu-
lations. Depending upon the specific circumstances of a given system, compliance
will involve varying degrees of (1) investment in capital, (2) enhancement of oper-
ations, and (3) improvement to management practices. This regulatory mandate
for action provides a perfect opportunity for systems to think and plan strategically
for their future.

2.2 STRATEGIC PLANNING

The many types of plans that water systems might prepare include business or
financial plans, capital-facility plans, operation and maintenance plans, watershed
protection plans, resource or conservation plans, and emergency or contingency
plans. Certainly, larger water utilities engage in a variety of planning processes.
Yet many water systems, especially small water systems, have not engaged in sys-
1
tematic planning, strategic or otherwise. Historically, planning by small water
systems has been limited to that associated with major capital projects and
required by various state regulatory or financial-assistance agencies. However, the
requirements for and practice of planning have been limited.
The traditional method of long-range planning for water systems generally
involves development of a set of actions to accomplish a goal or set of goals over
a period of years, with the assumption that the future will be relatively stable and
somewhat predictable. Traditional long-range planning does not necessarily pre-
pare an organization to successfully respond to a dynamic or changing environ-
ment.
The focus of strategic planning is on preparing organizations to successfully
meet challenges and opportunities, both known and unknown. Strategic planning
does not make decisions for the future, but shapes the environment in which future
decisions will be made (Steiner, 1979). Strategic planning does not deal with
future decisions but the future of present decisions and preparing today for an
uncertain tomorrow (Drucker, 1997).

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